How do you prefer to take travel photos?

In 2007 I took a camera when I visited Shanghai to document the trip. In the decade since, cell phone camera quality has advanced so much that I figure I probably don't need to lug a camera around, and can use my phone instead.Do you use a regular camera or a cell phone to capture photographs when you're traveling? Which do you prefer, and why?

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

For city breaks I use a cell phone, but it's nowhere near good enough for more than snaps of landscapes and certainly can't handle wildlife. But it depends what the photos are for. Mine are just nice reminders of a trip. I don't plan on printing them out large, I'm not entering prizes or anything, and I haven't learned to work apertures or anything yet. So for that a cellphone is perfectly adequate. When I went on safari I took a proper DSLR but I kept it on auto most of the time. I've got as many smiles and compliments for my iPhone snaps as for photos taken with the real camera, apart from obviously the iPhone never took a decent shot of an antelope!

It also depends on what else you're doing. If I was on my own I'd be more inclined to spend ages getting my photos right. But most of my recent trips have been with my husband and he gets bored if I spend ages lining up the proper shot. For him a trip is less about making art and more about having the actual experiences. And I don't care enough about photography to ruin his trip over it. I think sometimes when you're trying to look at a landmark, the person with the big camera and tripod standing in the way trying to take something they could sell to national geographic is more in the way than the giggling kids with the selfie stick.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

I do find myself using my cellphone camera more and more these days. But when it comes to certain arenas (landscapes and special lighting) I do like to have my full camera with me. I have an advanced compact (not that it's all that compact) and it takes great shots.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

The cellphone camera is easy to use and alsso good for sharing images. My present (Samsung S6 Galaxy) is particularly good for nightshots. For higher definition/resolution pictures I prefer to use a digital camera. The one I am using at present (Nikon S7000 coolpix) is hardly bigger than a cell-phone, and I am very happy with the shots I can produce with it.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

Most people think their travel photos on their phone are great....there in lies the gap...many of us don't think they do. Two entirely different kinds of travellers and totally different expectations for pics. I may take 100 pics and only keep the 20-30 best...while someone else takes 200 pics and the vast majority are not composed properly and are a chore and bore to look at. But remember, your photos are for you not me or anyone else. So whatever makes you happy.

For me travelling is about good pics too, and as I learn to get better, the expectations I have to get great shots increases. I won't ruin my trip over it ...because I always have great experiences. But as I get more into photography that is part of the experience.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

If I can I will have my SLR on me. I only use my cellphone if it's somewhere I can't take my SLR, or for what ever reason didn't have it on me. Cellphone quality will never be as good as a proper camera.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

For me the pics from a cellphone will never be good enough. To me they have not much to do with proper photos, they are just snaps for instagram or facebook. Most of my pics is taken by my slr (except of these taken for restaurant reviews). It weights more than 1kg but I can sacriffice myself and drag it with me just to have good photos. I have also a small waterproof cybershot and even this camera I dont consider good enough.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

Sept922 wrote:

Most people think their travel photos on their phone are great....there in lies the gap...many of us don't think they do. Two entirely different kinds of travellers and totally different expectations for pics. I may take 100 pics and only keep the 20-30 best...while someone else takes 200 pics and the vast majority are not composed properly and are a chore and bore to look at. But remember, your photos are for you not me or anyone else. So whatever makes you happy..

It's not the camera that composes the shots- best camera in the world with a bad photographer will be a chore to look at, and some of the greatest photographers in the world worked in the 1940s with nothing resembling modern kit. Only keeping the 20-30 best is great advice and one of the real advantages of digital. I am old so I remember traveling with analogue film- it was expensive, so you'd take only maybe three rolls of 36 photos on a whole three week trip, and if you weee very lucky half of them would be adequate and maybe two good.

And yes, I think a phone is not as good. But I've printed up cellphone photos into books and some of them are- well, nice. For the purposes of giving my mum as a gift or keeping as a memory for me. although I have won prizes for photography on a point and shoot up against people with DSLRs, which I think supports the idea it's not the camera that composes the shot!

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

EmyG wrote:

For me the pics from a cellphone will never be good enough.

Could those of you who feel this way explain, specifically, what is inadequate about cell phone cameras? Is it file size (my Samsung S5 goes up to 16M)? For outdoors, the flash is irrelevant. Cell phone cameras can provide seamless metadata that a digital camera can't. Is it the way a cell phone is held? Is it a question of using the camera in or near water? Or are we still talking digital versus film? I'm no shutterbug but I don't get the haughtiness about it. :-)

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

CMTinPHX wrote:

EmyG wrote:

For me the pics from a cellphone will never be good enough.

Could those of you who feel this way explain, specifically, what is inadequate about cell phone cameras? Is it file size (my Samsung S5 goes up to 16M)? For outdoors, the flash is irrelevant. Cell phone cameras can provide seamless metadata that a digital camera can't. Is it the way a cell phone is held? Is it a question of using the camera in or near water? Or are we still talking digital versus film? I'm no shutterbug but I don't get the haughtiness about it. :-)

zoom, manual settings to list just a few.

if any phone would have a really, really good camera, would cameras still exist? No, I dont think so. They would disappear from the market like walkmen or discmen. but they are still here. that means something.

Can you imagine a wedding photographer taking pics by Samsung S5? ofc travel photos are something different but if we want to have the best pics from wedding, why we should not expect the same from our travel photos? ofc it all depends from a person. if you are happy with your Galaxy s5 photos, good for you. and if you are not, like me, then just buy a cam. Easy-peasy.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

Sarah you are spot on. But....most people with cell phones take pic after pic after pic and their mind is in social media mode and selfie mode. They take sharp clear pic when sober because technology is better but when they take that, "I can't be bothered" attitude to pics...well. there are great little lenses to use for your cell phones, and great post editing programs for making IG pics look like pros. It is the "eye" of the camera holder though you are correct. But if it matters to a person I would think they wanted more than a phone.

But hey I am the one who prefers a travel guide to an electronic device. Its more relaxing on a ride. No battery, no data...but some want the quickest, easiest. Hence, it fits in a pocket.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

CMTinPHX wrote:

And wasn't the whole point of this thread the question of whether travel photos are different -- to which your response (buried deep down in your snootiness) is "ofc."?

the topic of the thread is: How do you prefer to take travel photos?followed by: Do you use a regular camera or a cell phone to capture photographs when you're traveling?

So I wrote I dont consider pics from a cellphone good enough for me. I answered the question using words "I" "to me". You asked to explain why, and so I did. You dont need to like my answer, I replied in my name not yours, the question wasn't general ("what is better to take pics"), no, it was individual ... and btw you wont drag me into an argument, be happy with your Samsung s5, I will be happy with my Nikon.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

nolan wrote:

I am waiting for guybooth to join the fun in this discussion.

you think he will? This topic has been discussed already few times. He is into the new generation compacts as far as I remember I dont rmemeber the name but it wasnt slr ... and it wasn't a phone either.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

[Insert obligatory "the photographer matters more than the camera" statement here]

I use the best camera it makes sense to carry around depending on what I am doing. Sure, a phone can take great pictures. i've even won a contest off a photo I took with my phone. But the higher grade the camera, the more control you have over every little thing to make the shot that much better, and then there are situations a phone just wont be as good in. So for me that means breaking things down into three categories. Whenever I can, I've got my mirrorless with me and a couple lenses. its just going to get me the best possible result. But when carrying that around doesnt make sense because of the location or activity then I've got a nice point and shoot that fits in my pocket. I'll usually have at least that with me unless I wasnt planning on taking any photos. But if I just happen to come across an unexpected shot, there is always the phone.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

tenaka wrote:

[Insert obligatory "the photographer matters more than the camera" statement here]

I use the best camera it makes sense to carry around depending on what I am doing. Sure, a phone can take great pictures. i've even won a contest off a photo I took with my phone. But the higher grade the camera, the more control you have over every little thing to make the shot that much better, and then there are situations a phone just wont be as good in. So for me that means breaking things down into three categories. Whenever I can, I've got my mirrorless with me and a couple lenses. its just going to get me the best possible result. But when carrying that around doesnt make sense because of the location or activity then I've got a nice point and shoot that fits in my pocket. I'll usually have at least that with me unless I wasnt planning on taking any photos. But if I just happen to come across an unexpected shot, there is always the phone.

couldnt agree more.

but then Sarah has also right. You need to be a tiny bit of an artistic soul and love taking pics to take amazing photos. For some ppl it is just take a pic to take it. This wont ever work even with the best cam. I have been straggeling already a year with my bf to learn him The Rule of Thirds and he still can't take a pic like this.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

EmyG wrote:

CMTinPHX wrote:

And wasn't the whole point of this thread the question of whether travel photos are different -- to which your response (buried deep down in your snootiness) is "ofc."?

the topic of the thread is: How do you prefer to take travel photos?followed by: Do you use a regular camera or a cell phone to capture photographs when you're traveling?

So I wrote I dont consider pics from a cellphone good enough for me. I answered the question using words "I" "to me". You asked to explain why, and so I did. You dont need to like my answer, I replied in my name not yours, the question wasn't general ("what is better to take pics"), no, it was individual ... and btw you wont drag me into an argument, be happy with your Samsung s5, I will be happy with my Nikon.

It's weird how cross people get about this, isn't it? I have no doubt at all that a "real" camera like a Nikon takes better shots of landscape and animals than my phone. I will get a real camera before the next time I go on a wildlife based holiday, for example. The think you're spot on pointing out the question is "which do you prefer"- a lot of people's preferences will be different and it's be snootiness to prefer a real camera, especially if you can work it properly (which I cannot, which is another reason I tend to prefer phones or lighter point and shoot cameras- I need to learn to use a real one properly before it does me any good!

Sept, I use paper guide books too. No battery to run out, and far better chance of surviving being dropped in a river!

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

EmyG wrote:

tenaka wrote:

[Insert obligatory "the photographer matters more than the camera" statement here]

I use the best camera it makes sense to carry around depending on what I am doing. Sure, a phone can take great pictures. i've even won a contest off a photo I took with my phone. But the higher grade the camera, the more control you have over every little thing to make the shot that much better, and then there are situations a phone just wont be as good in. So for me that means breaking things down into three categories. Whenever I can, I've got my mirrorless with me and a couple lenses. its just going to get me the best possible result. But when carrying that around doesnt make sense because of the location or activity then I've got a nice point and shoot that fits in my pocket. I'll usually have at least that with me unless I wasnt planning on taking any photos. But if I just happen to come across an unexpected shot, there is always the phone.

couldnt agree more.

but then Sarah has also right. You need to be a tiny bit of an artistic soul and love taking pics to take amazing photos. For some ppl it is just take a pic to take it. This wont ever work even with the best cam. I have been straggeling already a year with my bf to learn him The Rule of Thirds and he still can't take a pic like this.

Oh agreed. And I'd personally even argue that artistic soul aspect is even more important than learning proper techniques. I've read a couple books and blogs, but mostly on how to use different camera features. I've never taken a proper photography class. But I feel like I have a natural affinity for how to frame a shot.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

Camera and photo conversations have been done a lot here on TravBuddy. May be some truth to what Christopher said about there being some snobbery about it like wine tasting. With a good entry level professional camera like a Nikon almost anyone can take nice photos I think. Each person has a different perspective too so it's subjective to say what's artistic and what is not. Each persons perspective also does give a certain sameness in style to their photo collections, so it can get repetitious that way. Maybe the artistry comes in by mixing it up and being aware of ones own perspective and going outside that to capture something different that nobody else sees. On cell phone cameras, they are definitely getting better with the larger megapixel sized photos, and do fairly well in good lighting, but do suffer in low light conditions. They'll continue to improve as time goes on.

Re: How do you prefer to take travel photos?

CMTinPHX wrote:

EmyG wrote:

For me the pics from a cellphone will never be good enough.

Could those of you who feel this way explain, specifically, what is inadequate about cell phone cameras? Is it file size (my Samsung S5 goes up to 16M)? For outdoors, the flash is irrelevant. Cell phone cameras can provide seamless metadata that a digital camera can't. Is it the way a cell phone is held? Is it a question of using the camera in or near water? Or are we still talking digital versus film? I'm no shutterbug but I don't get the haughtiness about it. :-)

This may sound funny to some, but the reason I am hesitant at times to bring out my iPhone for taking photos is that there is a great risk of it being stolen from right out of my hand when I take a photo. I have a TB friend (she's not active on the forums though) who had her iPhone snatched from her hands while in the busy streets of the city best known for its millions of motorbikes. Two people came up to her on a bike, and grabbed her iPhone and took off with it.

I am not worried anymore about getting the iPhone dunked in water, as the latest variant is IP67 rated.

So now because of this I am looking for a more traditional digital camera (point and shoot, but not DSLR) to use when visiting that said city so I will minimize pulling out my iPhone. At least if it gets stolen it's not practically all of my digital life of the past few years that I will need to restore from my Cloud storage. And yes, to quote one of the well traveled TB friends I have met here - bring a big (DSLR) camera and a small (point and shoot) camera. And just take a lot of photos. If you lose one, at least you have photos on the other.